JUKAI! JUKAI! JUKAI! at Treeleaf Sangha

Well, the time has again arrived for our annual Jukai (Undertaking the Precepts) Ceremony, netcast live earlier today from Treeleaf Sangha.

Our 17 Preceptees came together simultaneously from 6 countries (from Iran to Greece to Mexico) joining in this Jukai as one, after having spent several months preparing for this day, studying the Precepts, sewing a rakusu, weighing the place of the Buddhist Teachings in their life.

As with everything at Treeleaf, all was accomplished fully online. We hope you will celebrate with us.

If you would like to witness via video our Precepts Ceremony, you may do so at the link below.

Jukai literally means to receive or to undertake the Precepts. It is the ceremony both of one’s formally committing to the Buddhist Sangha and to the Practice of Zen Buddhism, and of one’s undertaking the “Sixteen Mahayana Bodhisattva Precepts” as guides for life. Traditionally for Jukai, one receives from a teacher the Rakusu, which represents the robe of the Buddha, the Kechimyaku, a written lineage chart connecting the recipient to the Buddhas and Ancestors of the past, and a “Dharma name” selected by the teacher and representing qualities of the recipient’s personality and practice.

My teacher, Nishijima Roshi, has written this:

When a Buddhist seeks to commence upon the study of Buddhism, there is first a ceremony which should be undertaken: It is called “Jukai,” the “Receipt of the Precepts,” the ceremony in which one receives and undertakes the Precepts as a disciple of the Buddha… Master Dogen specifically left us a chapter entitled ‘”Jukai,” in which it is strongly emphasized that, when the Buddhist believer first sets out to commence Buddhist practice… be it monk, be it lay person, no matter… the initial needed steps include the holding of the ceremony of Jukai and the undertaking of the Precepts… The rationale of all of the Buddhist Precepts, the Mahayana Boddhisattva Precepts […] is as a pointing toward the best ways for us to live in this life, in this real world… how to live benefiting both ourselves and others as best we can.

CLICK ON THE LINK TO OBSERVE THE JUKAI CEREMONY AND JOIN THE CELEBRATION:

About Jundo Cohen

Jundo Cohen is a Soto Zen Priest, founder and teacher of the Treeleaf Zendo, a Soto Zen Sangha. He was ordained in 2002 and subsequently received Dharma transmission from Gudo Wafu Nishijima Roshi. He is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and American Zen Teachers Association (recently a group of members acted to remove him from the organization and, pending resolution of this matter, his status is a matter of debate). He resides in Tsukuba, Japan.

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About Jundo Cohen

Jundo Cohen is a Soto Zen Priest, founder and teacher of the Treeleaf Zendo, a Soto Zen Sangha. He was ordained in 2002 and subsequently received Dharma transmission from Gudo Wafu Nishijima Roshi. He is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and American Zen Teachers Association (recently a group of members acted to remove him from the organization and, pending resolution of this matter, his status is a matter of debate). He resides in Tsukuba, Japan.

About Sweeping Zen

Established in 2009 as a grassroots initiative, Sweeping Zen is a digital archive of information on Zen Buddhism. Featuring in-depth interviews, an extensive database of biographies, news, articles, podcasts, teacher blogs, events, directories and more, this site is dedicated to offering the public a range of views in the sphere of Zen Buddhist thought. We are also endeavoring to continue creating lineage charts for all Western Zen lines, doing our own small part in advancing historical documentation on this fabulous import of an ancient tradition. Come on in with a tea or coffee. You're always bound to find something new.

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